If someone searches "plumber near me" or "electrician Blackburn" right now, does your business show up?
If the answer is no, or even "I'm not sure," you have a problem. Because someone else's business is showing up. And they're getting the job that should have been yours.
This isn't about being better at what you do. The firm down the road might do rougher work than you, quote higher and turn up late. None of that matters if you can't be found.
Most people Google a tradesman before they ring one
Think about how you find someone. You don't flick through the Yellow Pages anymore. You pull out your phone, type what you need, and pick from the first handful of results.
Your customers are doing the same thing. BrightLocal's consumer survey found that nearly every consumer had searched online for a local business in the past year. The ones who can't find you online ring someone else without ever knowing you exist.
Word of mouth still works. Your regulars will keep calling. But when someone new to the area needs a plumber for the first time, they're not asking their neighbour. They're asking Google.
A Facebook page is not a website
This is the one that catches people out. "I've got a Facebook page, I'm online." You're on a platform. That's not the same thing.
Facebook pages rarely show up when someone searches for a local trade. A homeowner in Accrington searching for "electrician near me" is going to see Google Maps results, business websites and review sites. They're not going to see your Facebook page unless they already know your name, in which case they already know you exist.
Facebook is fine for showing your work to people who already follow you. It's a portfolio. But it's not how new customers find you. A website is.
Your competitors are winning by default
Here's the uncomfortable truth: most of your competitors don't have great websites either. They have a website. Often a rough one, built years ago, with old photos and a phone number nobody answers.
And it's still beating you. Because "a basic website and a Google Business Profile" beats "no website" every single time.
You don't need to outdo them. You need to show up. That alone puts you ahead of every firm in your area still relying on a Facebook page and word of mouth.
What "local SEO" actually means
You'll hear this phrase thrown around. Strip away the jargon and it means one thing: when someone in your area searches for what you do, you appear.
That's it. That's the whole game.
The mechanics behind it aren't magic. They're three things, mostly:
- A Google Business Profile. The free Google listing that puts you on Maps with your phone number, hours, photos and reviews.
- A real website. Even a small one, with your services, the towns you cover and your phone number written clearly, so Google understands what you do and where you do it.
- Reviews. Happy customers leaving a few words on Google. They're one of the clearest signs that you're a real, trusted local business.
That's the foundation. Get those three things right and you're already ahead of a lot of the firms you're up against.
What this costs you
Do the maths on your own jobs.
Think about what an average job is worth to you. Now imagine one person a week searches for your trade in your area, can't find you and rings someone else. Add that up over a year.
That's one missed search a week. Most local firms miss a lot more than that.
"A basic website beats no website. Every single time."
You don't need to be a marketing expert. You don't need to spend thousands. You need to be findable. That's the bar.
Want to find out what's costing you work?
Tell me what you do and where you work. I'll reply within a day with a price and a few ideas.